Verizon will debut 4G LTE service Dec. 5 with tiered pricing

After months of hinting, Verizon Wireless announced it will launch its commercial LTE service in 38 markets and at more than 60 airports on Dec. 5. As expected, the carrier's first two LTE devices will be USB dongles.

The two devices, the LG VL600 and Pantech UML290, will cost $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Both devices will be backward compatible with Verizon's EVDO network. Also on Sunday, Verizon will provide street-level maps of its coverage.

Verizon will charge $50 per month for 5 GB of LTE data and $80 for 10 GB of data; both plans will have a $10/GB per month overage. Customers will get text alerts when they reach 50 percent, 75 percent, 90 percent and 100 percent of their usage allotment. All of Verizon's LTE plans are postpaid. Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone said in a conference call that the company wanted to provide simple data plans to start, but that the pricing plans could change at some point in the future. "As the network evolves, other aspects around our offerings will evolve," he said.